Imhotep Charter Wins First PIAA Class 3A State Title Over Cathedral Prep

HERSHEY – “We won this game despite ourselves, but I couldn’t be more proud of my team” said Imhotep’s Head Coach Albie Crosby. Despite having one interception, two turnovers on five fumbles and ten penalties for 71 yards, the Panthers rattled off 40 unanswered points while amassing 514 net yards en route to a 40-3 win to capture the PIAA 3A State Title on a cold, blustery night in Hershey.

The game didn’t go much better for the Ramblers as, on the opening kickoff, there was a collision between two players on the sidelines. Henry Fessler would later be transported to the hospital as a result.

Offsetting penalties put the ball back on the kicking tee. This time Panther return man Aamir Brown took the kick and promptly turned the ball over to Prep at the 36. Quarterback Joe Mischler threw three straight incomplete passes, one that probably should have been caught for a score, and Prep gave the ball back to Imhotep. The drive would be a sign of what was to come for the Ramblers.

Neither team managed to put together a decent drive on their next possessions.  Following a Sullivan Johnson punt that put Imhotep at their own three, Mike Waters ran 12 yards before putting the ball on the ground for the second of three, first quarter turnovers for the Panthers. Prep failed to move the ball but Anthony Lupo used the wind at his back to nail a 30-yard field goal with 2:46 left in the quarter.

Waters would later atone for that mistake, running for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries but in the next series it was Sophomore Isheem Young who would impress. Young started off with a carry for a three yard loss, but then rattled off runs of 35, 11 and the drive ending five-yard touchdown  dash. He ran for the two-pointer making it 8-3 with just under a minute left in the quarter. “The biggest surprise for me? If you told me we’d score 40 points against a team THAT good while making that many mistakes, yeah, that’s a surprise,” said Crosby.

Turning to Ta’Nauz Gregory, the Ramblers failed to move the ball from the wildcat following a 67-yard interception return by the speedy DB. Even worse, another missed connection between receiver and quarterback.  This time Lupo missed a 27-yard field goal attempt into a stiff wind. Then the bottom nearly fell out as Prep safety Adam Valerio was carted off the field and transported to the hospital.

The next Prep possession found more of the same as Mischler eventually launched a deep ball that was picked off by Aamir Brown at the 38. Waters only needed one play to make up for the early fumble. The 5-10, 192 lb Sr went 62 yards untouched to put the Panthers up 14-3 to start the second quarter.

“You can’t keep missing plays and making mistakes like we did. A team like Imhotep will eventually make you pay for that,” said Mike Mischler, Head Coach of the Ramblers. One of the most telling stats was that Mischler’s son Joe was just four of 22 for 41 yards and one interception. Prep again failed to move the ball.

The Panthers started to put things together with a seven-play, 42 yard scoring drive highlighted by a Boykin to Naseir Upshur pass completion of 15 yards. Waters scored from three yards out and Imhotep carried a 20-3 lead into halftime. “Once we got rolling, we were ok. We have to work on that center exchange for next year though,” said Crosby.

The second half started off much the same for the Ramblers with missed passing connections and Imhotep turned another defensive stop into points. Boykin hit Nasir Lewis for a 36-yard connection. Aamir Brown finished the scoring drive with a 13-yard run to make it a 26-3 game with just over a minute left in the third.

The Panthers would tack on two more scores, a 41-yard touchdown pass to Brown on third and 38, and a 53 yard touchdown run from Waters.